What act of civil disobedience was committed during the 1960's South African apartheid? During the 1960s, anti-apartheid protests were ample because of the government's prejudice and segregation laws. The most well known of these displays of civil disobediance is reffered to as the Sharpeville Massacre. It took place on the 21st of March 1960. An estimated 7,000 peaceful protestors gathered in front of the police station in the township of Sharpeville. The crowd was protesting against Pass Laws, which violated the rights of the black population. Although the Pass Laws required them to carry their pass books, they were not. This demonstration was simply standing outside a police station without a pass book. However, it was enough to bring the government to a "state of emergency" in which 69 were killed and at least 180 Black Africans were injured.Other protests, marches, demonstrations, strikes, and riots soon followed along with several smaller events in which the police injured or killed others.
1960'S South African Apartheid Timeline
1960- A large group of blacks in the town of Sharpville refuse to carry their passes. the government responded to this by declaring a state of emergency and fined, imprisonend, and whipped them. In all, 69 people died and 187 people are wounded. The African political organizations, the African National Congress and the Pan-African Congress, are banned. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharpeville_massacre) 1962- The United Nations established the Special Committee Against Apartheid to support a political process of peaceful change. The Special Committee observed the International Day Against Racism to mark the anniversary of the people who died in the Sharpeville protest. 1963- Nelson Mandela, head of the African National Congress, is jailed.
1970s-Resistance to apartheid increased. Organizing by churches and workers increased. Whites join blacks in the demonstrations. ( the leadership of Steven Biko, helps unify students through the Black Consciousness movement.)
The South African apartheid which occurred in the 1950's was very similar to the racial segregation laws that we had very recently in America. The apartheid laws punished any 'non-white' citizens in many areas of South Africa. In fact, while the laws were mostly abolished in the late 1980's, they still shape the living conditions/politics of South Africa today, and are definitely still relevant. With that being said, the list:
Any non-white citizen that has lived in South Africa since the apartheid's conception(1948). http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2898.htm The 'People' headline, as well as paragraphs 9, 10 and 11 of the 'History' headline describe very loosely what the non-whites have to deal with in South Africa even today. Since this is a government website, it obviously does not go to great lengths to show the horrors that come of racial segregation, though I'm sure we're all aware. In the future, I will attempt to find information regarding the lengths that whites in South Africa went to in order to keep the non-white ('filth' according to them and the apartheid) "in line".
In particular, people were divided into four racial classes: "Black", "White", "Colored" and "Indian". People mainly focus on the dehumanization of Blacks, primarily because they were the largest minority in South African, and still are. However, Colored and Indian people were treated equally as poorly, and Eastern (read: Asian) 'citizens' in South Africa were very divided on their privileges. The link to the left Describes the difference between Japanese and Chinese immigrants.
Obviously, white citizens were affected by the apartheid the most, but in a totally different way. Believe it or not, I do not have a link regarding white privilege under the apartheid's rule, but I feel as though you should know that whites had privileges based solely on the nature of the apartheid. Whites built up copious amounts of wealth over the years that the apartheid was active, purely because they didn't have to take care of the non-whites. This left them to do whatever they wanted with the leftover money, which obvious went towards bettering the white citizens lives, as well as investing for future white lives.
The Law That Was Broken and Why There Was a Need For That Law
When the Afrikaner National Party became the majority in the government, their strategists developed apartheid to strengthen and finalize Their control. The apartheid helped them control the economic and social systems. The basic goal of the apartheid was to establish a way of keeping white dominance while adding more racial separation. Over time however, this became even more severe and by the 1960s the "Grand Apartheid",as it became known, strongly supported police support and territorial separation. Pass laws were established. These laws forced the black population to carry pass books with them whenever they were outside their compounds or areas. If they didn't have these books, they could be arrested. In protest to this law, 7,000 people led demonstration. The peaceful protest was simply people gathering without their pass books,and for this "crime", multiple people lost their lives. However, because of the Public Saftey Act, and the Criminal Law Amendment Act, (passed in 1953) the government had more authority than ever. Thse acts restricted people from protesting against law and they also allowed the government to declare a "state of emergency". These powers the government now had access to left the people at a large disadvantage in the struggle for right and wrong. This kind of thing is avoided in the United States because the people have the right to petition and assembly by the First Amendment. Furthermore, the representation that the people have in America allows the common person to have an influence on laws and other legal activity. These are things that the people of South Africa did not have, and we should make sure we don't let those right slip from our grasp.
A paragraph about what the person was trying to achieve and whether or not they were successful.
There were several groups that were involved with the 1960 apartheid for example, the Afrikaan National Congress, or ANC for short, was successful up until the 1960s when they got banned by their own government. Although they were shut down they still worked underground and became more violent with the way adopted a policy of armed resistance which established the Spear of The Nation. Then the ban the ANC was lifted in 1990. Then the ANC leaders engaged in negotiations with the white leaders which lead to the 1994 democratic elections. The ANC is the dominant political party in South Africa, having won over two-thirds of the vote in 2004. Another group was the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) was founded in 1944 to represent the radical views of the young members of the African National congress who favored mass protests. Key members of the ANCYL were Anton Lembede, Nelson Mandela, Sisulu, and Oliver Tambo. The ANC later established an anti apartheid movement, which was another name for keeping the white man from getting power in Africa. In some countries, such as the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, The Netherlands, and West Germany there national organizations by this name. In the United States, the anti-apartheid movement comprised many national and local organizations.
Photographs of the Act as is Was Being Performed
The photo on the top shows the peacefull protest of Sharpeville Massacre before the killing started. The photo in the middle shows one of the pass books which Black South Africans had to carry. The photo on the bottom shows some aftermath of the Sharpeville Massacre.
CROWD PICTURE
passbook
Wounded people lie in the street in Sharpeville, near Vereeniging, where at least 180 black Africans, most of them women and children, were injured and 69 killed, when South African police opened fire on black protesters, 21 Mar 1960
A paragraph that outlines the impact the event had on people then and now
In 1958 after the voting age was decreased to 18, the National Party (NP) was able to increase their majority again, this time to 108 seats. Verwoerd, like his predecessors, was convinced that unity between the English and the Afrikaner could be achieved only within a new republic. In January 1960 he announced that a referendum would be held that year on the issue of a republic. It was decided that South Africa, like India, would also try to become a republic, while remaining in the Commonwealth. At this time in South Africa there were various crises that had an impact on the way that people voted in the referendum. First the Sharpeville Incident of 1960 and the resultant banning of the ANC and PAC. Many gave their support to the NP after this incident as they believed the NP could protect them best. South Africa also came under international criticism, and in this atmosphere many felt that some withdrawal from international affairs was best. Other incidents that deeply affected South Africans in 1960 were the unsuccessful assassination attempt on Verwoerd, the Orange Free State Coalbrook mining disaster on 21 January 1960 where 435 labourers were buried alive, and British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan’s ‘Wind of Change’ speech. Their effect was to bring greater coherence and unity amongst white South Africans.
A paragraph that explains how the person was punished or what consequences they faced
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born in Transkei, South Africa on July 18, 1918. His father was Chief Henry Mandela of the Tembu Tribe. Mandela himself was educated at University College of Fort Hare and the University of Witwatersrand and qualified in law in 1942. He joined the African National Congress in 1944 and was engaged in resistance against the ruling National Party's apartheid policies after 1948. He went on trial for treason in 1956-1961 and was acquitted in 1961. After the banning of the ANC in 1960, Nelson Mandela argued for the setting up of a military wing within the ANC. In June 1961, the ANC executive considered his proposal on the use of violent tactics and agreed that those members who wished to involve themselves in Mandela's campaign would not be stopped from doing so by the ANC. This led to the formation of Umkhonto we Sizwe. Mandela was arrested in 1962 and sentenced to five years' imprisonment with hard labour. In 1963, when many fellow leaders of the ANC and the Umkhonto we Sizwe were arrested, Mandela was brought to stand trial with them for plotting to overthrow the government by violence. His statement from the dock received considerable international publicity. On June 12, 1964, eight of the accused, including Mandela, were sentenced to life imprisonment. From 1964 to 1982, he was incarcerated at Robben Island Prison, off Cape Town; thereafter, he was at Pollsmoor Prison, nearby on the mainland. He was later released on February 11,1990.
A paragraph that compares a quote from Thoreau's essay to the event.
"I learned this, at least, by my experiment; that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."
This quote says that if you go with what you feel you should be doing then go for it let no one tell you otherwise and have your own opinion and live your own life you will find your own success will be found with good patience. This has to do with how Nelson Mandela had joined the African National Congress (ANC for short) which engaged him in the resistance againd the ruling National Party's Aparthied policies after 1948. There was a proposal on those violent tactics and agreed that those members who wished to join mandela on that campaign wouldnt be stopped by the ANC. Mandela was later arrested for treason and sentenced to 5 years imprisonment. He was later sentenced to life in prison because he was going to take over the government in a violent manner. This reached the pubic and the whole world started hearing about it. My point is that Nelson Mandela never gave up in what he believed in, he never backed down. Nelson Mandela was sentenced to five years in prison for going against the government he was then sentenced to life in prison for saying that he would take over the government violently and not very appropriately. He was later released on February 11, 1990.
An Article That Takes an Opposing View on the Act of Disobediance
The following link is an article that takes an oposing view on the act of civil disobediance performed. The article states the idea that South Africa would be better off with apartheid. The article questions how evil apartheid really is. What makes it so much worse than other crimes? This article requires and open mind, and though the author isn't necessarily right, he brings up some good statistics. http://www.spainvia.com/evilapartheid.htm
A paragraph that summarizes other pieces of literature, music or film that were inspired by the act.
There are numerous works of literature that were inspired by the South African apartheid, but there is one that sticks out which was made by a man who protested during the apartheid. Breyten Breytenbach was a fairly prominent protestor during the apartheid, and his actions led to his imprisonment/ While he was in jail, he was inspired to write his famous play, Boklied. It depicts the brutal violence that the South African police committed in order to keep the "non-whites" under control, as well as the horrors that the apartheid and its white-dominated society brought. Another great example of literature that was influenced by the apartheid
a video on Nelson Mendela who commited the act of civil disobedience in Africa 1960
- A brief biography on Nelson Mendela Nelson was apart of an old tribe called Thembu. His father was the cheif of this tribe and had 4 wives, Nelson was one out of thirteen. Later in Mr. Mendela's years his father died of terbociulosis which sent Mr. Mendel off to college to create a new life.Nelson Mendela was one of many revolutionaries in the African Aparthied. In 1963 Mr. Mendela was arrested for treason and sabotage against the government and was jailed for 27 years. For 27 years Nelson was put to jail for his act of civil disobedince but on the date of 11 February 1990 he released. A year later Mr. Mendela ran for president and was elected by a land slide. He was president for 5 years, and was awarded the nobel peace prize. But at the age of 80 he decided to step down to have a life with his third wife. Nelson Mendela was a huge insperation in Africa and helped the country for as long as he was president.
Ben
NikkiBrendan
Nick
1960's South African Apartheid
What act of civil disobedience was committed during the 1960's South African apartheid?During the 1960s, anti-apartheid protests were ample because of the government's prejudice and segregation laws. The most well known of these displays of civil disobediance is reffered to as the Sharpeville Massacre. It took place on the 21st of March 1960. An estimated 7,000 peaceful protestors gathered in front of the police station in the township of Sharpeville. The crowd was protesting against Pass Laws, which violated the rights of the black population. Although the Pass Laws required them to carry their pass books, they were not. This demonstration was simply standing outside a police station without a pass book. However, it was enough to bring the government to a "state of emergency" in which 69 were killed and at least 180 Black Africans were injured.Other protests, marches, demonstrations, strikes, and riots soon followed along with several smaller events in which the police injured or killed others.
1960'S South African Apartheid Timeline
1960- A large group of blacks in the town of Sharpville refuse to carry their passes. the government responded to this by declaring a state of emergency and fined, imprisonend, and whipped them. In all, 69 people died and 187 people are wounded. The African political organizations, the African National Congress and the Pan-African Congress, are banned. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharpeville_massacre)1962- The United Nations established the Special Committee Against Apartheid to support a political process of peaceful change. The Special Committee observed the International Day Against Racism to mark the anniversary of the people who died in the Sharpeville protest.
1963- Nelson Mandela, head of the African National Congress, is jailed.
1970s-Resistance to apartheid increased. Organizing by churches and workers increased. Whites join blacks in the demonstrations. ( the leadership of Steven Biko, helps unify students through the Black Consciousness movement.)
News paper about the event- (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8578549.stm)
Two songs that would be apropriate to this even is testify by Rage Against the Machine and zombie by the Cranberries.
Zombie - the cranberries
testify- Rage Against the Machine
incase you cant understand here you go! http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/testify-lyrics-rage-against-the-machine/4332ded6d7b67f1e482568a50013cdab (lyrics!!!!!!!!)
People That Were Affected by the Apartheid
The South African apartheid which occurred in the 1950's was very similar to the racial segregation laws that we had very recently in America. The apartheid laws punished any 'non-white' citizens in many areas of South Africa. In fact, while the laws were mostly abolished in the late 1980's, they still shape the living conditions/politics of South Africa today, and are definitely still relevant. With that being said, the list:The Law That Was Broken and Why There Was a Need For That Law
When the Afrikaner National Party became the majority in the government, their strategists developed apartheid to strengthen and finalize Their control. The apartheid helped them control the economic and social systems. The basic goal of the apartheid was to establish a way of keeping white dominance while adding more racial separation. Over time however, this became even more severe and by the 1960s the "Grand Apartheid",as it became known, strongly supported police support and territorial separation. Pass laws were established. These laws forced the black population to carry pass books with them whenever they were outside their compounds or areas. If they didn't have these books, they could be arrested. In protest to this law, 7,000 people led demonstration. The peaceful protest was simply people gathering without their pass books,and for this "crime", multiple people lost their lives.However, because of the Public Saftey Act, and the Criminal Law Amendment Act, (passed in 1953) the government had more authority than ever. Thse acts restricted people from protesting against law and they also allowed the government to declare a "state of emergency". These powers the government now had access to left the people at a large disadvantage in the struggle for right and wrong. This kind of thing is avoided in the United States because the people have the right to petition and assembly by the First Amendment. Furthermore, the representation that the people have in America allows the common person to have an influence on laws and other legal activity. These are things that the people of South Africa did not have, and we should make sure we don't let those right slip from our grasp.
A paragraph about what the person was trying to achieve and whether or not they were successful.
There were several groups that were involved with the 1960 apartheid for example, the Afrikaan National Congress, or ANC for short, was successful up until the 1960s when they got banned by their own government. Although they were shut down they still worked underground and became more violent with the way adopted a policy of armed resistance which established the Spear of The Nation. Then the ban the ANC was lifted in 1990. Then the ANC leaders engaged in negotiations with the white leaders which lead to the 1994 democratic elections. The ANC is the dominant political party in South Africa, having won over two-thirds of the vote in 2004. Another group was the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) was founded in 1944 to represent the radical views of the young members of the African National congress who favored mass protests. Key members of the ANCYL were Anton Lembede, Nelson Mandela, Sisulu, and Oliver Tambo. The ANC later established an anti apartheid movement, which was another name for keeping the white man from getting power in Africa. In some countries, such as the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, The Netherlands, and West Germany there national organizations by this name. In the United States, the anti-apartheid movement comprised many national and local organizations.Photographs of the Act as is Was Being Performed
The photo on the top shows the peacefull protest of Sharpeville Massacre before the killing started. The photo in the middle shows one of the pass books which Black South Africans had to carry. The photo on the bottom shows some aftermath of the Sharpeville Massacre.
A paragraph that outlines the impact the event had on people then and now
In 1958 after the voting age was decreased to 18, the National Party (NP) was able to increase their majority again, this time to 108 seats. Verwoerd, like his predecessors, was convinced that unity between the English and the Afrikaner could be achieved only within a new republic. In January 1960 he announced that a referendum would be held that year on the issue of a republic. It was decided that South Africa, like India, would also try to become a republic, while remaining in the Commonwealth. At this time in South Africa there were various crises that had an impact on the way that people voted in the referendum. First the Sharpeville Incident of 1960 and the resultant banning of the ANC and PAC. Many gave their support to the NP after this incident as they believed the NP could protect them best. South Africa also came under international criticism, and in this atmosphere many felt that some withdrawal from international affairs was best. Other incidents that deeply affected South Africans in 1960 were the unsuccessful assassination attempt on Verwoerd, the Orange Free State Coalbrook mining disaster on 21 January 1960 where 435 labourers were buried alive, and British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan’s ‘Wind of Change’ speech. Their effect was to bring greater coherence and unity amongst white South Africans.A paragraph that explains how the person was punished or what consequences they faced
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born in Transkei, South Africa on July 18, 1918. His father was Chief Henry Mandela of the Tembu Tribe. Mandela himself was educated at University College of Fort Hare and the University of Witwatersrand and qualified in law in 1942. He joined the African National Congress in 1944 and was engaged in resistance against the ruling National Party's apartheid policies after 1948. He went on trial for treason in 1956-1961 and was acquitted in 1961. After the banning of the ANC in 1960, Nelson Mandela argued for the setting up of a military wing within the ANC. In June 1961, the ANC executive considered his proposal on the use of violent tactics and agreed that those members who wished to involve themselves in Mandela's campaign would not be stopped from doing so by the ANC. This led to the formation of Umkhonto we Sizwe. Mandela was arrested in 1962 and sentenced to five years' imprisonment with hard labour. In 1963, when many fellow leaders of the ANC and the Umkhonto we Sizwe were arrested, Mandela was brought to stand trial with them for plotting to overthrow the government by violence. His statement from the dock received considerable international publicity. On June 12, 1964, eight of the accused, including Mandela, were sentenced to life imprisonment. From 1964 to 1982, he was incarcerated at Robben Island Prison, off Cape Town; thereafter, he was at Pollsmoor Prison, nearby on the mainland. He was later released on February 11,1990.
A paragraph that compares a quote from Thoreau's essay to the event.
"I learned this, at least, by my experiment; that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."This quote says that if you go with what you feel you should be doing then go for it let no one tell you otherwise and have your own opinion and live your own life you will find your own success will be found with good patience. This has to do with how Nelson Mandela had joined the African National Congress (ANC for short) which engaged him in the resistance againd the ruling National Party's Aparthied policies after 1948. There was a proposal on those violent tactics and agreed that those members who wished to join mandela on that campaign wouldnt be stopped by the ANC. Mandela was later arrested for treason and sentenced to 5 years imprisonment. He was later sentenced to life in prison because he was going to take over the government in a violent manner. This reached the pubic and the whole world started hearing about it. My point is that Nelson Mandela never gave up in what he believed in, he never backed down. Nelson Mandela was sentenced to five years in prison for going against the government he was then sentenced to life in prison for saying that he would take over the government violently and not very appropriately. He was later released on February 11, 1990.
An Article That Takes an Opposing View on the Act of Disobediance
The following link is an article that takes an oposing view on the act of civil disobediance performed. The article states the idea that South Africa would be better off with apartheid. The article questions how evil apartheid really is. What makes it so much worse than other crimes? This article requires and open mind, and though the author isn't necessarily right, he brings up some good statistics. http://www.spainvia.com/evilapartheid.htmLink to Ben's journal page
link to brendan's journal page
A paragraph that summarizes other pieces of literature, music or film that were inspired by the act.
There are numerous works of literature that were inspired by the South African apartheid, but there is one that sticks out which was made by a man who protested during the apartheid. Breyten Breytenbach was a fairly prominent protestor during the apartheid, and his actions led to his imprisonment/ While he was in jail, he was inspired to write his famous play, Boklied. It depicts the brutal violence that the South African police committed in order to keep the "non-whites" under control, as well as the horrors that the apartheid and its white-dominated society brought. Another great example of literature that was influenced by the apartheid
a video on Nelson Mendela who commited the act of civil disobedience in Africa 1960
- A brief biography on Nelson Mendela
Nelson was apart of an old tribe called Thembu. His father was the cheif of this tribe and had 4 wives, Nelson was one out of thirteen. Later in Mr. Mendela's years his father died of terbociulosis which sent Mr. Mendel off to college to create a new life.Nelson Mendela was one of many revolutionaries in the African Aparthied. In 1963 Mr. Mendela was arrested for treason and sabotage against the government and was jailed for 27 years. For 27 years Nelson was put to jail for his act of civil disobedince but on the date of 11 February 1990 he released. A year later Mr. Mendela ran for president and was elected by a land slide. He was president for 5 years, and was awarded the nobel peace prize. But at the age of 80 he decided to step down to have a life with his third wife. Nelson Mendela was a huge insperation in Africa and helped the country for as long as he was president.